Apparatus for applying a particulate material to an object



April ,1968 A. F. GERLOVICH 3,380,433

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A PARTICULATE MATERIAL TO AN OBJECT Filed Sept.14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

INVENTOR. ALBERT E GszLov/cH BY MAI/0M5), #415527 &

Hoax/54x52 Arrozmers April 1968 I A. F. GERLOVICH 3,380,433

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A PARTICULATE MATERIAL TO AN OBJECT Filed Sept.14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1?.

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30 INVENTOR. 42 ALBERT E Gamay/cw BY MAI/ONE), #445527- &

Hoe/(454x52 A rraeusrs United States Patent 3,380,433 APPARATUS FORAPPLYING A PARTICULATE MATERIAL TO AN OBJECT Albert F. Gerlovich,Fanwood, N.J., assignor to Rheem Manufacturing Company, New York, N.Y.,a corporation of California Filed Sept. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 396,125 4Claims. (Cl. 118-111) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Method and apparatusfor applying a particulate material to a metallic object such as thehead or the bottom of a metal shipping container so as to form asubstantially uniform coating on one surface thereof.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for applying aparticulate material, such as a powdered resin or a metallic powder, toa metallic object, so as to form a substantially uniform coating on saidobject. More particularly, it relates to a method and apparatus forcoating the internal surfaces of the head and the bottom of a metalshipping container.

Metal shipping containers, such as black steel drums and pails, are usedextensively for transporting and storing a wide variety of products, buttheir use has been limited in that it is often not possible or practicalto use such black steel drums and pails for transporting or storingproducts having high acid activity qualities, or products producingcorrosive activities or strong chemical reactions, all of which act uponthe black steel to perforate the container or dilute or impair theproducts carried by the container.

Heretofore, when it was desired to carry such products in metal shippingcontainers, excessively expensive containers, such as stainless steeldrums, have had to be utilized, or relatively expensive coatings havehad to be applied to the interior of the containers by such methods aspainting or dipping. It has been found that such coating operations havenot only been time-consuming, but also they have been ineificient inthat it has been difficult to apply the coatings with any marked degreeof consistency of thickness; in that voids created by air bubbles oftenresult; in that incomplete coverage is frequently encountered; and inthat coatings so applied often become brittle and break away from thecoated surfaces in use.

More recently, methods and apparatuses for applying particulatematerials to the interior surfaces of drum and pail bodies have beendevised, and by these methods and apparatuses a substantially uniform,complete coating of corrosive-resistant material on black steelcontainer bodies has been attained. Obviously, however, if the desiredresults are to be accomplished, it is necessary to provide an equallyeffective coating for the interior surfaces of the heads and the bottomsof the containers, and it is an object of the present invention toprovide means and apparatus for efficiently and effectively coating suchheads and bottoms with the same materials, with adequate provision forcoating at the joinders of the heads and the bottoms with the containerbodies, as well as on the normally exposed surfaces, so that completeinterior container coating is accomplished.

It is another object of the invention to provide appa- 3,380,433Patented Apr. 30, 1968 ratus for coating the heads and the bottoms ofmetal containers with a particulate material, which apparatus is simpleand inexpensive to construct and operate, and which is readily adaptablefor use in association with modern, high-speed steel containerproduction lines.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of themethod disclosed and the construction, arrangement and combination ofthe various parts of the apparatus, whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the applicator drum of theapparatus; and

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged, fragmentary view showing details of aportion of the apparatus within the applicator drum illustrated in FIG.3.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a frame or bench 10 is provided.Mounted adjacent one end of the bench 10 is a hopper 12 which isdisposed so as to receive a quantity of particulate material, such aspowdered resin or a metallic powder, and to feed the particulatematerial into the apparatus in the manner hereinafter described.

A vibrator 14 and a feeder 16, driven by a power drive, such as a motor18, are mounted on the bench 10 adjacent to the hopper 12, and aredisposed so as to vibrate and feed particulate material discharged bygravity from the hopper 12. Connected to the feeder 16 is a cylindricalhousing 20 which, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, extends laterally fromthe feeder 16 into an applicator drum, hereinafter described in detail,and has an open discharge end 22 disposed within said applicator drum.Within the housing 20, as shown in FIG. 3, is a worm drive 24 disposedso as to receive particulate material discharged from the hopper 12 intothe feeder 16, to drive it through the open end 22 of the housing 20,and to discharge it into the applicator drum.

The applicator drum, generally designated 30, is an open-endedcylindrical drum which is rotatably mounted on the bench 10, the body ofthe drum 30 being disposed on the bench 10 laterally of the feeder 16 sothat the housing 20 enters one side of the drum 30 at substantially thelongitudinal axis of the drum 30, the drum 30 being rotatable about thehousing 20. The housing 20 terminates at its open end 22 short of thevertical axis of the drum 30.

Handles 32, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, are mounted on thedrum 30 in position so that they may be grasped to rotate the drum 30 onthe bench 10. It will be readily understood that, in lieu of saidhandles 32, other means to rotate the drum 30, such as power means, maybe provided.

The sides of the drum 30 are flanged inwardly at the open ends of thedrum 30, as best shown in FIG. 3, so as to define shoulders 34.Adjustably externally mounted on the shoulders 34 are adaptor rings 36disposed so as to receive the chimes of container heads and bottoms ofvarious diameters to be coated. The internal ends of the rings 36 andthe shoulders 34 are beveled in alignment so that particulate materialwithin the drum 30 may enter the said chimes in the manner hereinafterdescribed.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, a container head orbottom 40 to be coated is disposed in an open end of the drum within theshoulder 34 at that end of the drum 30, with the inner surface of thehead or bottom exposed to the interior of the drum 30. A chime 42 of thehead or bottom 40 is fitted over the ring 36. Mounted on the shoulder 34adjacent the ring 36, are suitable clamps, such as the clamp 44,disposed so as to clamp the chime 42 on the ring 36 and removablysupport the head or bottom 40 in the coating position hereinabovedescribed. A plurality of clamps 44 may be interconnected by mechanicalmeans for hand or power operation as a unit.

A tubular housing is mounted on the bench 10. The housing 50 extendsinto the drum 30, entering the drum 30 on the side of the drum 30opposite the entry of the housing 20, the housing 50 being disposedsubstantially in axial alignment with the housing 20, and the drum 30being rotatable about the housing 50. Axially disposed within thehousing 50 is a shaft 52, shown in FIG. 3. One end 54 of the shaft 52protrudes beyond the housing 50, and power means, such as a motor 56mounted on the bench 10 and a chain and sprocket drive 58, shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, rotatably drive the shaft 52. As shown in FIG. 3, at theinner end of the shaft 52 there is mounted a beveled gear 60 whichmeshes with a beveled gear 62 mounted on a vertical shaft 64 disposed ina housing 66, the shaft 64 being along the vertical axis of the drum 30.

The vertical shaft 64 protrudes beyond both ends of the housing 66, andradially mounted on the ends of the shaft 64 externally of the housing66 are vertically disposed blades 70, which extend over a substantialportion of the interior of the drum 30. The blades 70 are spaced fromthe open ends of the drum 30.

Mounted on the free ends of the blades 70 are outwardly directed paddles72 which are disposed adjacent to the aligned beveled edges of the rings36 and the shoulders 34.

If desired, a timing light may also be mounted on the bench 10, thepurpose of the timing light 80 being to indicate the elapsed time of thecoating operation within the applicator drum 30. In lieu of providingthe timing light 80, automatic timing devices may be utilized.

In operation of the apparatus of the present invention, the drum 30 ispositioned as shown in FIG. 1, with an open end thereof upward. A heador bottom 40 to be coated is heated, preferably to a metal temperatureof approximately 375 Fahrenheit which, in use, has proven to be anacceptable temperature, although the stated temperature is not to bedeemed a limitation. The preheated head or bottom 40 is then placed atsaid open end and clamped into position, as hereinabove described. Thedrum 30 is then rotated 180.

Meanwhile, the hopper 12 has been charged with a quantity of particulatematerial. The vibrator 14 and the feeder 16 will then be activated, andthe worm drive 24 t will deliver a quantity of the particulate materialto the inside of the applicator drum 30, where it will fall by gravityfrom the open end 22 of the housing 20 to the head or bottom 40 clampedat the lower end of the drum 30.

The rotation of the blades 70 within the drum 30 will spread theparticulate material over the entire exposed surface of the head orbottom 40, and the paddles 72 will replenish material in diflicultadhesion areas and fill voids, particularly in the chime area.

During the coating operation on the first head or bottom 40, a secondheated head or bottom 40 is clamped into position at the upper end ofthe drum 30. The applicator drum 30 is left in the position describedfor a time sufiicient to produce satisfactory coating results, dependenton materials utilized. The timing light 80 is set so as to flash uponcompletion of the chosen time cycle, or the automatic timing means areset to operate upon completion of said time cycle.

Upon completion of the time cycle, the drum 30 is again rotated 180, andthe coating operation will then continue on the second head or bottom40, while the previously coated head or bottom 40 is removed from theapparatus and replaced with another preheated head or bottom 40 to besubsequently coated.

It has also been found advantageous to post-heat the coated parts, whichmay be accomplished by placing the coated heads or bottoms 40 in an ovenand maintaining a metal temperature of approximately 390 Fahrenheit forabout fourteen minutes, and then removing the parts from the oven andallowing them to cool. Although postheating may not be essential, incertain coating operations, it is recommended to insure an evenly coatedsurface.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what isconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment thereof, itis recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope ofthe invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosedherein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as toembrace any and all equivalent structures, devices and methods.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for applying a particulate material to a heated body so asto form a substantially uniform coating on one surface of the body,which apparatus comprises: a bench; a hopper mounted on the bench andadapted to receive and discharge a quantity of a particulate material;an open-ended drum mounted on the bench adjacent to the hopper; clampingmeans mounted on the drum adjacent to the lower end of the drum, saidclamping means being disposed so as to clamp a heated body at said loweropen end of the drum and colse said end; means for conveying particulatematerial from the hopper to the interior of the drum, and depositing theparticulate material on the heated body; and rotatably mounted bladeswithin the drum for spreading the particulate material substantiallyuniformly over the exposed surface of the heated body.

2. Apparatus for applying a particulate material to a heated body so asto form a substantially uniform coating on one surface of the body,which apparatus comprises: a bench; a hopper mounted on the bench andadapted to receive and discharge a quantity of a particulate material; adrum rotatably mounted on the bench adjacent to the hopper, said drumhaving upper and lower open ends; clamping means mounted on the openends of the drum, said clamping means being disposed so as to clampheated bodies to the open ends of the drum and close said ends; meansfor conveying particulate material from the hopper to the interior ofthe drum and depositing the particulate material by gravity on theheated body clamped to the lower open end of the drum; means within thedrum for spreading the particulate material over the surface of theheated body clamped to the lower end of the drum; and means for rotatingthe drum 180 so as to reverse the positions of the open ends of thedrum.

3. Apparatus for applying a particulate material to a heated, chimedhead for a metallic container so as to form a substantially uniformcoating on one surface of the chimed head, which apparatus comprises: abench; a hopper mounted on the bench and adapted to receive anddischarge a quantity of a particulate material; an openended drummounted on the bench adjacent to the hopper; clamping means mounted onthe drum adjacent to the lower, open end of the drum, said clampingmeans being disposed so as to clamp a heated, chimed head for a metalliccontainer at said lower end of the drum and close said end, with thefiat surface of the head and a portion of the chime internally exposedin the drum; means for conveying particulate material from the hopper tothe interior of the drum and depositing the particulate material on theheated head; and means within the drum for spreading the particulatematerial over the exposed flat surface and the exposed portion of thechime of the head.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the means 5 6 within thedrum for spreading the particulate material References Cited over theexposed flat surface and the exposed portion of UNITED STATES PATENTSthe chime of the head comprises: vertically disposed blades rotatablymounted within the drum, said blades 2737461 3/1956 Helsler et a1 beingadjacent to the exposed fiat surface of the head in 5 3,132,967 5/1964Spraul et a1 117 21 X contact with the particulate material depositedthereon; 35091217 3/1967 Nagel 117' 21 X and paddles mounted on the freeend of the blades, said I paddles being adjacent to the exposed portionof the chime WILLIAM MARTIN P'lmary Examme' and in contact with theparticulate material. P. F. ATTAGUILE, Assistant Examiner.

